Gatlin scorches to world 60m gold

American Justin Gatlin took another step towards redemption after a four-year doping ban by comprehensively winning the 60m at the World Indoor Athletics Championships on Saturday. Gatlin, the 2004 Athens Olympics 100m gold medallist, powered out of his blocks at the Atakoy Arena and led the field through from gun to tape, timing an impressive 6.46 seconds. Jamaican Nesta Carter, a key part of his country's world and Olympic gold-medal winning 4x100m relay squads, for once basked in some individual glory with a fighting silver in 6.54sec. Defending champion Dwain Chambers of Britain had to be happy with bronze at 6.60sec in a photo finish with American Trell Kimmons, who remains the fastest sprinter in the world this season. Chambers' result could not have come at a better time as he waits for the court case that will decide his fate at this summer's London Olympic Games. The Englishman sent out a reminder that he remains Britain's best sprinter despite finding himself in the ironic position of being unable for the moment to represent his country at the Olympics because of his doping-blighted past. The former European 100m champion, who was banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid THG in 2004, is currently unable to appear in the London Games due to a British Olympic Association (BOA) ruling. The BOA will argue before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their bylaw, which bans convicted drugs cheats from competing in the Olympic Games, does not violate the World Anti-Doping Association code. But if CAS find the BOA's bylaw to be non-compliant with the world anti-doping code, Chambers will be cleared to be selected for Team GB. He has also been unable to compete at Diamond League events because British athletics authorities (UKA) refuse to sanction athletes with doping pasts. Euro Meetings, organisers of the Diamond League meets, last year withdrew their 2007 recommendation that members not invite athletes who have served drug bans. That opened up the door for Jamaican Steve Mullings and American duo Gatlin and LaShawn Merritt to run at Diamond League meets this season, but UKA has not changed its policy of not inviting "an athlete who they consider damages the integrity of a competition".